Shloka 46

Āyuḥ-kṣaya by Vikarma; Impermanence of the Body; Aśauca and Child Śrāddha Procedures; Dāna as Remedy

Devanagari script

अदत्तदानाच्च भवेद्दरिद्रो दरिद्रभावाच्च करोतिपापम् / पापप्रभावान्नरकं प्रयाति पुनर्दरिद्रः पुनरेव पापी

Transliteration

adattadānācca bhaveddaridro daridrabhāvācca karotipāpam / pāpaprabhāvānnarakaṃ prayāti punardaridraḥ punareva pāpī

Translation

Wer nicht gibt (dāna), wird arm; aus Armut begeht er Sünde. Durch die Macht der Sünde geht er zur Hölle; und dann kehrt er wieder arm zurück und ist abermals wahrlich ein Sünder.

Word by Word

• अदत्तदानात्: from not giving (charity withheld)
• अदत्तदानात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अदत्त-दान (प्रातिपदिक; अदत्त + दान)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; नञ्-तत्पुरुष (अदत्तं दानं यस्मात्)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• भवेत्: becomes
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधि), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• दरिद्रः: a poor man
• दरिद्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दरिद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्ता

• दरिद्रभावात्: from the state of poverty
• दरिद्रभावात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दरिद्र-भाव (प्रातिपदिक; दरिद्र + भाव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; कारण/अपादान

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• करोति: does/commits
• करोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• पापम्: sin
• पापम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म

• पापप्रभावात्: from the effect of sin
• पापप्रभावात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप-प्रभाव (प्रातिपदिक; पाप + प्रभाव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; कारण/अपादान

• नरकम्: hell
• नरकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म (गति-क्रियायाम्)

• प्रयाति: goes (to)
• प्रयाति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: काल/पुनरावृत्ति-अव्यय (adverb: again)

• दरिद्रः: poor
• दरिद्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दरिद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्ता

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: पुनरावृत्ति-अव्यय (adverb)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• पापी: a sinner
• पापी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पापिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्ता

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (teaching Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Naraka

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: A causal chain links miserliness to deprivation, deprivation to further wrongdoing, and wrongdoing to naraka—forming a samsaric loop.

Vedantic Theme: Bondage through karma-vāsanā: unwholesome tendencies reinforce conditions that generate further papa; liberation requires breaking the chain through sattvic action.

Application: Counter scarcity-mindset with disciplined giving; build ethical safeguards during hardship; seek community support to avoid desperation-driven wrongdoing.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Geographic Context

Type: infernal realm

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: naraka descriptions and karma-phala causality in Pretakalpa passages; Garuda Purana: dana as a purifier and protector against durgati

Characters & Entities

• Naraka

FAQs

What is the importance of dana (charity) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse frames dana as a karmic safeguard: withholding charity initiates a downward chain—poverty, then sinful acts, then naraka—showing that giving is essential for preventing future suffering.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul after wrongdoing?

It presents a cause-and-effect sequence where papa leads to naraka; after experiencing that consequence, the jiva returns to embodied life still burdened by tendencies that recreate poverty and sin, forming a repeating cycle.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Practice regular, capacity-based giving (food, money, service) and ethical livelihood, so hardship does not push one into harmful choices; break the cycle by cultivating dana and restraint.